Teaching Kids Life Skills: Flag Etiquette

When I was a kid we always had a United States flag flying at our house. The flag, and all it stands for, has always been very important to my dad. As we would raise the flag together, my dad would share what the flag meant to him along with tips for how to properly care for the flag.

Over the years I have been proud to pass this information along to my own children. We display the flag on holidays and special occasions. And, in our geography co-opsand history lessons, we have reviewed flag etiquette and practiced the proper procedures for handling and folding the flag.

During a recent visit to Washington DC we even planned our first stop around the flag – we visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to see The Star-Spangled Banner exhibit and learn more about the 200 year old flag that inspired Francis Scott Key.